Sweet Lorane Community News – June 9, 2016

June 9, 2016Newspaper ColumnsBoy Scouts, Chris Starfire, Lorane Bread Basket, Lorane Christian Church, Lorane Community Assoc., Lorane Directory, Lorane Fire Department, Lorane Grange, Lorane Growers' Market, Lorane Rebekahs, Lorane Senior Lunch, Marissa McNutt Cooper, Patrick Dearth, Theta Rhopaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
June 9, 2016
By Pat Edwards

Welcome to a classic beginning to an Oregon summer! Last week, a few brave hay farmers were able to get their fields cut, raked, baled and picked up before the change in weather. Some, however, held their breaths, hoping that the cooler temps and “chances of showers” were not going to ruin the hay that was cut but not yet dry enough to bale.

I am so glad that Jim has finally dismounted from his tractor, given up the fields he has tended for so long and is looking closer to home for his projects. For the first time in 52 years of marriage, I’m able to hand over the lawn mowing duties and share the yardwork with him. Wow! What a gift!

The new Lorane Directory, which has been set up on Facebook, is getting some use, it appears. Thank you to Chris Starfire for setting it up and to Marissa McNutt Cooper and Patrick Dearth for helping to administrate it. It gives members a chance to list for sale items in the area so that our regular Lorane, Oregon Facebook page can be kept for community discussions, concerns and announcements. The Lorane Directory is also meant to provide community members information on resources within the community. In looking through the actual directory list, however, I notice that several of our service organizations and activity and interest groups have not added their listings yet. If this is going to be a truly helpful resource, they need to be added, but the information must come from the organizations themselves… i.e services provided, meeting times and places, need for new memberships, contact information, etc.

I had a request the other day from an AmeriCorps volunteer who is working on a food systems assessment for Southern Lane County. She needed to find out how to get in touch with those who are running the Lorane Bread Basket food pantry. I was able to track down the information for her and she got in touch with one of the organizers, but this is one of the reasons why we need to have info on our service organizations posted (Bread Basket, Senior Lunches, Grange, Rebekahs, Theta Rho, Boy Scouts, Fire Department, Church, Community Association, Growers Market, etc.). The most important reason, however, is for those new to the community to learn what services are available to them and how they can participate as volunteers or make use of the services they provide. I was told that some of the food has to be thrown out because there are not enough requests for it during the year. I’m sure that families in the area who are struggling could use it if they knew it was available.

Let’s all encourage the community members who offer a skill or product and organizations that offer services to make sure that they are listed on the Lorane Directory so that it can truly be a useful tool for all of us. The directory file can be found at https://www.facebook.com/notes/999281663489459/Lorane%20Directory/999298380154454 or just type in “Lorane Directory” in the Facebook search box. Go to “Files” and select the Lorane Directory file.

Sweet Lorane Community News – April 28, 2016

April 28, 2016Newspaper ColumnsBoy Scouts, Crow Grange, Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District, Kindergarten Roundup, Lorane Bread Basket, Lorane Christian Church, Lorane Community Assoc., Lorane Fire Department, Lorane Grange, Lorane Rebekahs, Master Plan, Mother's Day Breakfast, Senior Lunches, Theta Rhopaedwards Leave a comment

Fern Ridge Review
Creswell Chronicle
Sweet Lorane Community News
April 28, 2016
By Pat Edwards

Thank you to Lil Thompson once again for passing on some Crow-Applegate-Lorane School District news that I can use in this week’s column. There’s not a lot of Lorane news to report right now and I haven’t come up with any ideas to share, so it’s very welcome.

Lil also reminds me that the Lorane Grange meets this month on Thursday, May 5 at 7:30 p.m. The grange is just one of our local organizations that could use new members to help carry on their many services to the community. We have very active service groups at not only the grange, but the Lorane Rebekahs, the Lorane Christian Church, the Lorane Fire Department, the Theta Rho group for young girls, a Boy Scout group, a Lorane Community Association, the Lorane Bread Basket which provides food and help to families in need, and the Senior Meals Program. I may have missed others and I apologize if I did. They could all use an infusion of new members who want to work through these organizations to serve our community. Hopefully the new Lorane Directory page on Facebook will be including information on each of these organizations, their meeting days/times, their visions and needs and their contact information. Helping others always seems to help make the problems in our own personal lives much more manageable.

Now, for the school district news…

On May 12, the C-A-L School District will be hosting a Kindergarten Roundup event at 3:15 p.m. at Applegate Elementary. If you have a child who will be 5 years of age prior to September 1, 2016, he or she is eligible for the 2016-17 school year. Applegate offers a full-day program, five days a week. Come meet your teacher, see the classroom and allow your child to interact in a classroom setting. Be sure to bring your child’s immunization records and a copy of their birth certificate. For further information, call the district office at 541-935-2100.

Because the area schools are aging, the district has been working with an architecture firm, community members and staff to develop a 10-year Master Plan for repairs, renovations and/or replacements of the current buildings and property. In order to allow district residents to review the findings and see, firsthand, what is being discussed, there will be two open house events and tours of the schools held in May. The first will take place on Tuesday, May 10 at 6:00 p.m. at the Crow Middle/High School. Then, on Saturday, May 14, a second open house will be held at the Applegate Elementary from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Your input is being sought once you have had a chance to review what is being considered.

Congratulations to the staff and students at the Crow High/Middle School for making the U.S. News and World Report’s top schools in Oregon list.

Don’t forget to treat your favorite mother to the Crow Grange’s Mother’s Day Breakfast on Sunday, May 8, if you’re fortunate to still have your mother in your life. I no longer am able to do special little things for my mother. She passed away at the age of 96 in 2012 and I still miss her. It’s an unbreakable bond for many people… it has been for me. Honor your mother… and your father… for giving you, not only life, but the tools to allow you to maneuver and make your way through this crazy world we live in.